Rakesh Rekhi
Executive Director, Brand Building

Rakesh has 12 years of combined international experience working across brand strategy, advertising, marketing and sales in New York, Boston and Bangalore. Prior to founding Crosspollen he worked at global brand and design consultancy Landor Associates as well as advertising powerhouse JWT.

He has defined, created and delivered branding and communications programs for clients including GE, Avantha, United Spirits, Taj Hotels, Mirinda Orange, Bosch, Dockers, EMC, Turner Construction, Verizon and The WPP Group. His experience spans brand identity, brand positioning, brand architecture, brand engagement, digital branding, naming and tagline development, customer segmentation, competitive analysis, market research, advertising and 360 degree communications. He has also worked on the client side in marketing, product management and sales roles.

Rakesh graduated with an MBA from the globally ranked business school, INSEAD, where he focused on marketing, business strategy and entrepreneurship. During his time there, he was both a scholarship recipient, as well as an exchange scholar at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a BBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Rakesh speaks fluent English and Hindi and conversational French. His personal interests include eastern philosophy, song-writing and cricket.

Damodharan M
Creative Head, Design & Identity

Damodharan has 12 years of combined creative and design led experience and has worked on a wide variety of engagements with deep focus on design and concept development including brand identity programs, advertising, marketing communications collateral, packaging design exhibit graphics and online design.

In the past he headed branding and design at Sebastian & Sons, worked in advertising boutique hot-shop Teracubed as well handled all advertising requirements across India for India International Travel Mart.

Just some of the clients he has helped with their branding and design challenges include: Infosys, Microsoft, APC, Concorde Motors, St. Johns Research Institute, Nidra Hotels, Ezone, Taffles Apparel, Sweet Chariot, Emmaus Swiss Hospital & School, GMR Group, Jain Group of Institutions, Shankaraa Foundation, Orange County and Maruthi Educational Trust & Nursing Home.

Apart from his passion of being in the business of branding and communication, he is equally enthusiastic about travel and photography which he believes broaden one"s view of the world.

Shailja Awasthi
Brand Strategist

Shailja is a talented team-player with a unique perspective on creating and building brands. Prior to joining Crosspollen she worked in advertising and public relations at Ogilvy & Mather, Mudra Communications, JWT-IPAN and 20:20 Media. Having viewed brands through many lenses including strategy, communications and implementation gives her an edge when it comes to all things branding.

She has hands-on experience planning, creating, executing and managing solutions for brands across a multitude of categories including financial services, food and beverage, lifestyle, real estate, education, industrial, technology products and health services. Some key clients she has worked with include General Electric, Kingfisher, Intel, Mindlance, Ratanchand and team.i.

Shailja earned her MBA in Marketing from IBS, Bangalore, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Lucknow University. She speaks English and Hindi and enjoys writing, painting and theatre.

Ajay Mayasandra
Associate Copywriter

Ajay became part of the Crosspollen team after spending three years as an Investment Banker at Deutsche Bank. Seeking more creative avenues, the world of branding seemed a natural fit. Today he fulfills the role of a creative pirate with 'mightier than sword' as his weapon (read as: swashbuckling copywriter).

He is a rank holder and a gold medalist from the prestigious Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, where he specialized in Copywriting. He also holds a bachelor's degree from Bangalore University.

Ajay is an amateur guitarist, avid photographer, passionate biker, hard-core movie buff and a passionate music lover. A pilgrimage to Tibet, a cross country bike-trip on a Harley in Bolivia and a 24-hr pirate radio broadcast of his favorite music are few of the things on his bizarre yet interesting bucket list. He speaks English and Kannada fluently.

Arjun Singh
Senior Account Manager

Arjun has half a decade of experience working across marketing and sales in Bangalore. This includes managing key accounts at Quantum Concepts, a Bangalore based event management company as well as a sales role at Max New York Life.

He graduated with an MBA from NSB School of Management Studies (NIILM), Bangalore, one of India’s best business schools, where he focused on marketing.

Arjun speaks fluent English and Hindi. When he's not busy at work he enjoys indulging himself in travel and watching movies.

Mariana Malveira
Designer

Mariana started her foray into the world of design in 2007. Since then she has contributed with her creative flair and skills to areas that include branding, packaging, marketing and digital.

Before becoming part of the team at Crosspollen, Mariana worked in Brazil with Vendo Editorial where she was involved in designing highly creative print collateral. Prior to this she was with Atitude Brasil, where she developed communication and promotion material, handled social media and nurtured relationships with international universities, culminating in a dynamic role in the III International Communication and Sustainability Forum in Rio de Janeiro.

Asides from her passion for creativity and design, Mariana has served as the Talent Management Director at AISEC, the world’s largest international student exchange organization. She has also contributed to various social projects in Brazil and Malaysia.

Mariana holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communication (Design) from ESPM, São Paulo. She speaks English and Portuguese and her passions include travel, people and philosophy.

Russell Fernandez
Associate Brand Strategist

Russell began his professional career in advertising with Law and Kenneth in New Delhi. While his core responsibilities are shaping the strategic direction for brands and managing various facets of branding programs for clients, he frequently lends his abilities to the creative side of things as well.

He has worked on brands such as Airtel, Wipro, Sansui, Kelvinator, Honeywell, Copper Chimney and Southern Batteries.

Russell earned his MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Bangalore, where he specialized in advertising and branding.

He speaks English and Hindi. A self confessed football addict, his other interests include basketball, graphic design and comic books.

Balaji Amardeep
Associate Account Manager

Amardeep manages the day-to-day functioning of operations for some of Crosspollen’s key clients across the city of Bangalore.

A Bachelor of Science degree holder in Computer Science from Bangalore University, Amardeep is an avid cricket enthusiast who also enjoys music, movies and long solo rides on his motorbike. He has a penchant for languages and displays a keen understanding of local cultures, consumers and market dynamics.

Joseph Rajan
Administrative Manager

Joseph has over 25 years of experience in various administrative roles with a host of organizations across India. A Bachelor of Commerce graduate from the prestigious Delhi University, he worked at several companies including BKP Media Vision, Jaipur Development Authority, Nitesh Estates and Serve & Volley, before joining Crosspollen.

The man for any hour – multi-tasking and troubleshooting are Joseph’s fortes. These skills make him an effective handler of general administrative duties, office and building management and inter-departmental coordination. Joseph speaks English, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil, and likes spending his free time watching movies, listening to music or with his family.